


Tikki, what's wrong with me?

by loverdrive



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Badass Marinette, F/M, Marinette is ashamed of her crush, aged-up Marinette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:01:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22844488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loverdrive/pseuds/loverdrive
Summary: Marinette Dupain-Cheng is a tough girl. She rides a bike, pumps iron, knows a thing or two about mixed martial arts all the while having college and a job on her hands.But also, she is a mess. She fell in love with someone who she shouldn't have.And now, with all of this and being a superhero on top of that, she needs to navigate her life without having her head exploded.Damn her luck.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 40





	Tikki, what's wrong with me?

Marinette took one more look at a rough and somewhat childish drawing on a cold chimney stone and couldn’t help but chuckle. A blond boy with fascinating emerald eyes was staring at her.

Of course, there was no way to tell if his eyes were really green and black lines were not giving even the smallest hint on the colour of his hair, but it didn’t matter — she knew. She could almost see his sunny smile in her mind and couldn’t help smiling herself.

And then, with a defeated sigh, she wiped the drawing off and looked at the grey and black ash on her palm.

She felt like shit.

“Hey, Alya. I know it’s out of the blue and it’s late, but I really really could use an ear and a bit of advice. Call me back, please. Pleeease.”

She opened a browser to try and get lost in another internet rabbit hole, but of course, there it was. Adrien Agreste, about 117,000,000 results (0.53 seconds).

That’s when she just couldn’t hold it anymore. She screamed.

“What in the nine hells is wrong with you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng?!”

Then the phone was sent flying over the balcony ledge towards a certain phone-death, but the girl with pigtails couldn’t care less.

“Hey, honey, is everything alright? — she heard her father’s voice over her own way too loud sobs.”

“Yeah, dad, thanks. Just some girl problems, or boy problems, it’s complicated. Thank you. Sorry for waking you up.”

Tom hugged Marinette, intentionally ignoring her smell and empty cigarette packs lying on the balcony.

“I know college is hard for you, my cinnamon. It’s going to be okay. I promise. We love you, Marinette. I know it’s probably best to talk to your mother, but… maybe I can help?”

“No, dad, thanks. I’m okay, really. Just tired.”

  
He hugged her one more time and disappeared through the hatch.

  
And as soon as he leaves, Marinette fishes another cig from a pack, lost in thoughts.

* * *

“Hey, girl. You okay? Sorry, I didn’t answer that call, I was sleeping and when I tried to call you back in the morning it went straight to the voicemail. What’s going on?”

Marinette smiled sheepishly at Alya. The redhead was clearly worried sick and she felt bad because of it.

“Nothing. Just… I don’t know, I fell in love with someone I barely met and never talked to and really shouldn’t fall in love with… Uh. I’m a mess.”

“Hey, love life is complicated, girl. It’s okay. Who is this guy? From college?”

“You are going to slap me and never talk to me again if I tell you. Just drop it. I’m okay. I was just stressed over my stuff and freak out, this stupid crush will go away in a day or two.”

It probably wasn’t the smartest thing to say. Probably because it was just a silly celebrity crush and probably because she could swear she saw a spark in Alya’s eyes.

“Just tell me who. I won’t do any of the terrible things you just said, I promise. It’s a teacher?”

“No. Look, I mean it. Drop it. And stop guessing.”

“You can trust me, girl. I swear I will help you, no matter who the guy is. That's what friends are for.”

“Okay. It’s… Adrien Agreste.”

Alya tried her best to hide her disbelief, but she always was a terrible liar.

“Oh girl, you always surprise me. He’s like, what, fourteen?”

That’s when Marinette broke into tears once again. She screamed “Told you!” into Alya’s face and ran off, sobbing, not looking back.

She ran and ran until she spotted an old man crossing the road on the wrong light. Marinette instantly snapped out of her trance and grabbed him by the hand, stopping him right before he could get hit by a truck.

Her eyes are still red and her face is still red from tears, but she picks up his cane and gives it back, smiling weakly.

“You okay, sir?”

“Thank you, thank you, young lady. You just saved my life! You are my hero!”

“It’s something anyone could do. There’s nothing special about me. And I’m a terrible person and — she almost starts crying again but regains her composure — Should I walk you home? Are you okay?”

“Never underestimate yourself, young lady. There were lots of people around but none of them even tried to help me, but you even visibly stressed, got out of your way to help an old man you’ve never met before! Thank you, sincerely. I’m okay now, thanks to you. I will never forget you.”

He smiled one more time and walked away, leaving dazed Marinette behind.

* * *

Marinette’s day just couldn’t get any worse. But then it did.

Damn her luck.

Whatever made that noise, it certainly wasn’t anything good.

Too scared to peek out of the window, Marinette tuned to TV broadcast and double-checked that it was no movie — Nadya Charmack was really reporting a twenty feet tall stone… thing.

And then, she spotted Alya in the background, recklessly running towards the monster, phone camera in hands.

“Damn you, girl! What’s fucking wrong with you?!”, Marinette screamed and rushed to find her phone and try and talk the crazy reporter out of whatever suicidal idea she’d got.

Of course, there was no phone. But instead, there was an unfamiliar box and there was no explainable way or reason for it to lie on her table.

Curiously, Marinette snapped it open and was instantly blinded by a bright flash of light. High-pitched, squeaky voice practically shouts to her something like “It’s so nice to meet you!” and startled girl clenches her hands into fists, raising her arms to protect her face.

“Whoever you are… What are you?!”

She dashes back, putting as much distance between herself and that thing as she can.

“Listen, Marinette I know everything may seem a bit strange to you...”

Holding a craft knife in hand, the girl coldly said: “How do you know my name and what in the nine hells are you?”.

The red bug-thing was visibly worried, but clearly not scared.

“I’m a kwami and my name is Tikki. Please, let me explain.” — Marinette nodes and Tikki continues — “You were chosen to wield powers of Miraculous Ladybug. And you are the only one who can stop akumatized villain.”

“Akuma… what?”

“Akumatized. Someone in Paris was lost in negative emotion and akuma got control over it. That person is as much victim as people who they hurt are.”

“So, what do I need to do?” — she said as she lowered the knife in her hand.

* * *

A young woman in red-spotted outfit landed in front of a bakery and ran towards the like the devil himself was chasing her.

She has no time to learn the ropes and clumsily try to mimic spider man. Nope. Alya needed help and she needed it as soon as possible.

And there she was, doing a very crappy job of hiding behind a wall and filming that stone-thing attack while squeaking way too excitedly for someone who is in grave danger.

“What’s fucking wrong with you girl” — Ladybug sighed and ran towards her, grabbed the reporter by the hand and dragged her back into the alley.

“If you are trying to kill yourself, there are way less complicated ways.”

Alya’s eyes sparked with excitement: “A real superhero?! That’s so cool! I-”

“Look. It’s dangerous. Hide somewhere and don’t do anything stupid, okay? I don’t want your blood on my hands.” — Ladybug interrupted her and rushed to the stone-thing.

Alya tried to protest, but heroine just slapped her: “I don’t have time for any of this bullshit! Go and hide, I have a villain to beat.” and sprinted towards the last place where she’d seen the akuma.

Her expression changed in rapid successions from panic to anger to cold determination as she approached towering monstrosity of stone, scanning area with lazer-focused sight.

Covers, vantage points, possible escape routes — she memorized them all and was ready to engage, when a young boy in skintight suit with silly cat-ears dropped recklessly from a nearby building with a metal stick in his hands, only to be sent flying like fifty feet away as the monster didn’t even flinch from a full-weight face punch. Even worse.

He grew larger.

Exploding with laugher, the stone-thing taunted Ladybug “I am Stoneheart. You cannot stop me. Just give up already!”.

She put herself between the monster and the catboy and said only a single word, as calm as she could ever be.

Never.

She threw a glance towards the catboy, who was dragged to a cover by Alya. Good job, girl.

Dodging boulders and ton-heavy punches, careful to not touch the Stoneheart herself, she was desperately looking for a plan.

And her only plan was to retreat.

* * *

“So. What are we going to do? We need to find whatever object the akuma-thing got into and destroy it and I can’t see anything but stone on him.” — Ladybug said, staring at several blurry photos of the akuma.

“Well, he looks like he clenches something in his fist.”

“Hm… Smart, catboy. Now we need a way to make him let go of whatever he holds. What’s your name, by the way? Should I keep calling you catboy? I think it’s kinda cute.”

She couldn’t help but smile when he blushed. Adorable.

“Uh… Call me… Chat Noir! And you, the most beautiful lady in the whole world, yet alone Pawwris?”

It was her turn to blush, but she tried to hide the redness of her cheeks.

“Just call me Ladybug. Now, let’s get back to planning. What’s your power?”

  
“It’s Cata-” — red-spotted lady pressed a finger to his lips: “Easy, chaton. You don’t want to waste that now. You have only one shot, remember?”

“Oh. I guess I was too excited to let my kwami explain all this to me. Okay. My power lets me destroy anything I touch.”

“Sounds terribly like someone I know… Okay. The plan.”

* * *

Ladybug plunged from a rooftop with the biggest chain she could find in her hands, wrapping it around the Stoneheart’s left arm.

And then was sent flying like a yoyo into a nearby building with a loud and painful crash.

“Oh hell, I’ve should expect that. Plan B. Lucky Charm!”

She barely dodged a barbell threatening to make her into a red spot (huh) and sighed: “Oh come on, I already hit the gym more than enough!”

Oh. Of course.

In a swift motion, she wrapped the chain around the barbell and it worked. Even the stone monstrosity couldn’t lift it with as much ease as he could throw Ladybug.

“Chat! Now!”

The catboy dived from the same rooftop with batton in his hands, only to be grabbed by a large fist. The Stoneheart had two arms, after all.

He hit a button on his baton and extended it, forcing the akuma to open his fist.

* * *

Ladybug stood firmly between the angry mob and the boy that was the Stoneheart a few moments ago with her fists clenched and ready to strike.

“You touch him — you dead. I mean it. And no miraculous healing this time. Back off. Now.”

“He is as much victim as the people he hurt while being brainwashed were. He is just a boy, leave him alone. I swear I will track down whoever is behind all of this, but whoever they are, they are not this boy.”

Chat Noir joined her, clenching his baton, way less angry and way less serious.

“Yeah! You touch him, you will have to deal with me!”

They circled around the scared boy until Ladybug whispered to her partner: “Get him to safety. I will deal with them.”

* * *

Marinette collapsed on her bed: “Oh, what a day.” Then, she glanced over one of her reference photos on the wall, picturing no one other than Adrien Agreste and smiled.

“Hey, Tikki. What’s wrong with me?”


End file.
